# Wind power in South Dakota

The state of South Dakota is a leader in the U.S. in wind power generation with over 30% of the state's electricity generation coming from wind in 2017. In 2016, South Dakota had 583 turbines with a total capacity of 977 megawatts (MW) of wind generation capacity. In 2019, the capacity increased to 1525 MW.
South Dakota is one of the country's windiest states, and has the potential of installing 882,000 MW, and generating 2,902 billion kWh/year. Just as in Texas, the construction of new wind farms is transmission line limited.

## History

South Dakota's first wind farm was the South Dakota Wind Energy Center, built in 2003.
In 2018, 324-foot wind turbines were installed in South Dakota, with a capacity of 2,300 kilowatts.
"As of December 2018, South Dakota had 1,018 megawatts of wind power capacity online and running. Another 200 megawatts of wind energy was under construction, and 673 more megawatts spread across dozens of sites are permitted for production."

## Summary statistics

| Wind generation percentage | Wind power per capita | Wind power capacity density |

## List of wind farms in South Dakota

See also list of farms from the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission.
| Name | Location | Capacity (MW) | Number Of Turbines | Owner | Year Opened |
| Aurora County Wind | Aurora County | 20 | 9 | Con Ed | 2018 |
| Beethoven Wind | Bon Homme County | 80 | 43 | Northwestern Energy | 2015 |
| Brule County Wind | Brule County | 20 | 9 | Con Ed | 2018 |
| Buffalo Ridge Wind | Brookings County | 260 | 129 | Avangrid | 2009/2010 |
| Campbell County Wind | Campbell County | 97.8 | 56 | Con Ed | 2015 |
| Chamberlain Wind | Brule County | 2.6 | 2 | Basin Electric Coop | 2002 |
| Coyote Ridge Wind | Brookings County | 98 | 38 | WEP Energy Group | 2019 |
| Crocker Wind | Clark County | 200 | 77 | Geronimo Energy | 2019 |
| Crowned Ridge Wind | Codington County Grant County | 200 | 87 | NextEra Energy | 2019 |
| Day County Wind | Day County | 99 | 66 | Nextera Energy | 2019 |
| MinnDakota Wind | Brookings County | 54 | 36 | Avangrid | 2008 |
| Oak Tree Wind | Clark County | 19.5 | 11 | Con Ed | 2014 |
| Prairie Winds | Jerauld County Aurora County Brule County | 162 | 101 | Basin Electric Coop | 2011 |
| Prevailing Wind Park | Bon Homme County Charles Mix County Coddington County | 219.6 | 57 | S-Power | 2020 |
| South Dakota Wind Energy Center | Hyde County | 40.5 | 27 | NextEra Energy | 2003 |
| Tatanka Wind Farm | McPherson County | 190 (88.5 in SD) | 179 (59 in SD) | Acciona | 2008 |
| Tatanka Ridge Wind Farm | Deuel County | 154.8 | 56 | WEC Energy Group Avangrid | 2021 |
| Titan Wind Project (Rolling Thunder Wind) | Hand County | 25 | 10 | American Electric Power | 2009 |
| Triple H Wind Project | Hyde County | 250 | 92 | ENGIE US | 2020 |
| Wessington Springs Wind | Jeraud County | 51 | 34 | NextEra Energy | 2009 |
| Willow Creek Wind | Hand County | 103 | 38 | Ørsted | 2020 |

## Wind generation

South Dakota Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh) :
| Year | Total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2002 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 16 |
| 2004 | 158 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 |
| 2005 | 159 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 2006 | 147 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 14 |
| 2007 | 151 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 10 |
| 2008 | 146 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 26 |
| 2009 | 420 | 17 | 25 | 25 | 53 | 45 | 25 | 27 | 33 | 37 | 43 | 41 | 49 |
| 2010 | 1,371 | 84 | 60 | 99 | 130 | 150 | 102 | 97 | 119 | 132 | 130 | 134 | 134 |
| 2011 | 2,668 | 183 | 264 | 234 | 263 | 283 | 208 | 149 | 157 | 142 | 253 | 275 | 257 |
| 2012 | 2,354 | 232 | 182 | 234 | 231 | 218 | 187 | 153 | 145 | 162 | 234 | 206 | 170 |
| 2013 | 2,688 | 260 | 213 | 230 | 272 | 236 | 201 | 157 | 150 | 202 | 256 | 284 | 227 |
| 2014 | 2,336 | 258 | 200 | 216 | 221 | 192 | 150 | 155 | 101 | 185 | 217 | 250 | 191 |
| 2015 | 2,498 | 244 | 193 | 226 | 235 | 213 | 158 | 159 | 185 | 207 | 245 | 251 | 182 |
| 2016 | 3,714 | 274 | 299 | 338 | 383 | 280 | 288 | 235 | 222 | 305 | 334 | 342 | 414 |
| 2017 | 2,957 | 252 | 273 | 304 | 285 | 258 | 223 | 161 | 133 | 224 | 295 | 266 | 283 |
| 2018 | 2,837 | 289 | 238 | 280 | 268 | 204 | 245 | 143 | 182 | 230 | 240 | 244 | 274 |
| 2019 | 2,789 | 222 | 189 | 257 | 260 | 211 | 180 | 183 | 150 | 247 | 275 | 295 | 320 |
| 2020 | 5,545 | 337 | 433 | 477 | 424 | 415 | 442 | 337 | 410 | 467 | 532 | 591 | 680 |
| 2021 | 9,322 | 673 | 583 | 934 | 897 | 786 | 660 | 619 | 793 | 777 | 820 | 896 | 884 |
| 2022 | 10,325 | 917 | 967 | 1,089 | 1,070 | 711 | 715 | 683 | 661 | 756 | 919 | 991 | 846 |
| 2023 | 2,696 | 778 | 996 | 922 | | | | | | | | | |
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